Living with the Enemy
by CasualDreamer45
Summary: Ashley needs a new home. Spencer needs a roommate. Only one problem... They don't get on.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, all! So, yes. I'm still alive... Yes, this is a new story, and no, I haven't updated NQACS in a while... Basically, long story short, all I seem to be getting lately is bad news, which was recently followed by one HUUGGGEEEE piece of horrendously bad news. Although that particular thing was kept from me until after my graduation, which I totally appreciate. I probably would've hit rock bottom had I been told any sooner, so yeah... writing's been the last thing on my mind, really.**

**Oh, and yes, I graduated! Waheyy!**

**Random piece of fun trivia: There's a place in Donegal called Muff. They have a diving club. Go figure. Like, they have a website and everything. It's pretty hilarious. For anyone interested, just type Donegal Muff Diving club into your search engine and it should come up. Oh, and they also have a Muff Festival. Sounds fun, right?**

**So this is T for now, but will probably be changed to an M at a later date for certain... 'activities'.**

**Oh, also... My last story was in first person. This one is not. I figured it was time to improve my writing, and this was the way to do it. I tried to read my other story back and found the writing really shoddy, so...**

**Anyway...**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination and dignity. With alcohol however, that dignity goes swiftly out the window, and my imagination seems to run wild.**

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

The blonde checks her watch for the seventh time in the last five minutes, anxiously fiddling with the lid of her takeaway coffee cup. She's always preferred takeaway cups; less hassle, and less dishes to clean. They should be thankful she specifically asked for one, she muses.

As she checks her watch once more, the blonde decides that it's time to throw her coffee away and prepare herself. She's only managed to drink half of the cup, due to nerves, and wouldn't be able to stomach anymore. Besides, she'd let it sit long enough already, meaning it would be lukewarm. She hates lukewarm coffee.

Getting up from her seat, the blonde goes to make a move, but a sudden impact forces the coffee out of her hand, and onto her blouse.

Gasping, the blonde freezes, before regarding the brunette in front of her.

"Oh, shit! I'm sorry!"

Spencer growls at the apologetic brunette, as she takes a second to assess the extent of the damage caused by the coffee on her crisp white blouse.

"Yeah, well, you should have watched where you were going!"

The brunette flinches, taken aback by the sudden snappy tone of the blonde.

"Geez, I said I'm sorry."

The brunette takes a few seconds to look the blonde woman up and down as she mutters under her breath whilst wiping furiously at her now horrifically stained shirt. She has to admit, she's kind of attractive, in a sexy secretary kind of way. Her black skirt shows a generous amount of leg, which the brunette notes, seem to go on forever, those black heels accentuating her height. And that blouse, had the blonde not been scrubbing vigorously at, she figures, would hug her figure in all the right ways. The black framed glasses aren't exactly off-putting either; after all, smart is kind of sexy, she thinks.

The brunette is pulled out of her daze as the angry blonde snaps once more.

"Do you realise what you've just done? I have a job interview!" She looks at the brunette, astonished at her stupidity.

"Well, what time? Where? I'm sure we could get you fixed up."

The blonde simply raises her eyebrows as she replies.

"Uh, five minutes!" She stated, "Right here!" She raised her arms gesturing to the coffee shop in which they stand.

"Oh..." The brunette looks apologetic for a second before thinking that sarcasm would be the best way to approach the matter at hand. Maybe Blondie will lighten up a little. Maybe even crack a smile...

"Well..." She starts. "You know, this way you can tell them that you like their brand so much that you're wearing it..."

The only thing she gets in reply is a frustrated scream as the coffee-covered woman races past her in the direction of the bathroom.

Thinking it best not to follow the raging blonde, the brunette lets out a puff of air as she makes her way out of the coffee shop.

* * *

It's just gone 4pm when she gets home, rolling her eyes as she walks through the door and hears the yelling from the living area.

"Are you two playing NBA again?" she shouts. "Once I get my hands on that controller, you know it'll all end in tears... And they won't be mine!"

She makes her way through the apartment to join the boys, who are sitting on the sofa, eyes glued to the television.

"What? No way! How the hell did that go in? I totally blocked it!" The blonde haired boy whines as the darker haired boy grins smugly.

"Game over, Glen. Now move over. Let me show you how it's done. You ready to get your ass handed to you on a plate, Aiden?" she turns to her opponent and raises a perfectly sculpted brow.

"Yeah, right! You won by fluke last time!" As the game starts, Aiden struggles to compete with the brunette's expertise, and he's down by one in a matter of seconds.

* * *

"Oh, shit, son! I think Ashley just owned you!" Glen grins as she winks at him before getting off the sofa and moving towards her bedroom.

"What did I tell you, Aid? The dishes are all yours, big boy!"

* * *

When she returns from work that night, Glen has disappeared, and in his place, is Aiden's girlfriend Lisa, though they certainly aren't playing NBA...

"Ugh, why do you insist on bringing her here? Can't you just go to her house?" Her query seems to go unnoticed though as the pair on the sofa continue sucking each other's faces. "Oh, please... don't stop on my account..."

As she pulls away, Lisa rolls her eyes at Ashley, running a hand through her long, blonde hair in an attempt to smooth it. It still doesn't make her look any better though, Ashley muses.

"Just 'cause you're jealous. Go play your shitty guitar or something." She flips Ashley off, but the brunette simply grins back smugly.

"Like I've said before; I'm a vagitarian. I don't eat sausage..." She moves closer to the girl on the sofa before reaching out a hand to brush her cheek. "You, on the otherhand... Well... You, I can do." She throws in a wink at the end, just to rile the blonde up, knowing it's worked when the girl in question's cheeks flush, her eyes dangerous.

"Ashley... Come on, just leave it, yeah?" Aiden tries to diffuse the situation, but doesn't need to say anything else, as Ashley is already making for her room.

"Whatever. I'm going to stay at Nikki's tonight."

As she shuffles around her room, packing an overnight bag, she hears the pair muttering about something from outside.

"She's not going to be happy," Aiden states.

"Yeah, well, I'm not going to be happy either, as long as she's around, but she'll have to suck it up. Just tell her tomorrow."

Ashley rolls her eyes at the conversation. She's never liked Lisa. Ever since Aiden started dating her all those months ago, she's had a problem with Ashley. Apparently it's not possible to be best friends with a guy without wanting his dick. Even when you're a lesbian. Yeah, go figure. Lisa has always been the clingy, over possessive type, which of course, only inflates her boyfriend's huge ego, and while Ashley appreciates the confidence boost given to her best friend, she can't stand the way his girlfriend acts when she's around.

Whatever it is Aiden wants to tell Ashley, it can wait until tomorrow, when the girlfriend from hell has left.

Satisfied with the items she's packed, Ashley emerges from her room with her overnight bag slung over her shoulder, not even bothering to look at the pair sat on the sofa as she strides towards the door.

"I'm coming back in the morning to get changed for work. When I get here, _she_ better be gone."

* * *

The door opens, revealing a slim redhead, who seems surprised to see the other girl at her door.

"Hi."

"Hi," Ashley replies. "Sorry I didn't text. Lisa's at ours. Can I stay?"

"Sure. As long as you promise to be my pyjamas," the redhead responds with a mischievous grin.

The brunette smirks in return.

"Have I ever let you down?" She moves towards the other girl before the door is swiftly kicked shut.

* * *

When she wakes the following morning, Ashley is greeted by a foot in her face.

"Babe, what the hell? Why do you always end up sleeping in such weird positions? Seriously, like, what shape are you?"Ashley raises an eyebrow as she takes in the form of the girl next to her, who groans in response.

"After the shapes you put me into last night? Are you surprised?" she replies sleepily as she stretches her body.

Ashley considers this for a second, a pensive look on her face as she replays memories of last night in her head.

"Huh... True." She checks the clock on the bedside table. "Shit. I got to go. Duty calls."

She gets out of the bed before packing her things and heading to the bathroom for a quick wash. When she emerges, Nikki is in the exact same spot as she had been before Ashley got up.

Ashley picks up her bag and quickly presses a kiss to the sleepy girl's head.

"Bye. I'll call you."

Ashley's relationship with Nikki is, well, complicated. They do most of the things couples do; comforting each other, hanging out with each other, and occasionally going out together, only without actually being 'together' together. They have an arrangement where they occasionally sleep together when the fancy takes them, but are free to sleep with other people, as long as the other knows, however, around about two months ago, Ashley had stopped seeing other people and noted that it seemed Nikki had too. Nothing had been said about the matter though, and so the pair just continued as normal, only without the added complication of other people.

Ashley admits that while she doesn't feel a lot for the redhead, she still cares for her, and has grown comfortable in her presence. It helps that the sex is good too...

* * *

Ashley groans as she returns to her apartment only to find that Lisa is still there.

"Seriously, Aiden. Why is she still here? Go back to where you came from." Aiden looks sheepish as Lisa looks at him, urging him to tell Ashley.

"Well, she uh... She actually doesn't have a place anymore..."

"Oh. Well don't worry," she says as she turns to the blonde. "I hear there's a nice homeless shelter down the road. And they do soup for lunch. Yummy!"

She makes to go into her room, but stops when Aiden calls her name. Turning around, she raises her eyebrow in question.

"Uh... Me and Lisa have been together for a while and... Well, we decided that she's moving in here."

Ashley blinks incredulously.

"_We_?"

"Yeah, me and Lise." Aiden replies, innocently.

"_Right_... You and Lise. Okay. And you just forgot to include me in this decision? Your current housemate slash best friend?"

Aiden pulls a face at this.

"Come on, Ash! I know you'd say no!"

"You're damn right I'd say no! Aiden, what the hell?" As Ashley continues to stare her best friend out, his girlfriend interjects.

"I brought most of my stuff last night, but we'll get the rest from Sarah's later."

Ashley scoffs at this.

"You've actually started moving your things already? This is ridiculous..."

"Oh, I haven't _started_ moving... I've moved." Lisa smirks.

"Great. Good for you." Ashley claps slowly before turning to Aiden. "I'm moving out."

"What? Don't be stupid! It'll be fine!" Aiden shouts, only to be flipped off by Ashley as she goes to get ready for work.

* * *

"Shit. So, like, you have to _live_ with her now?" Tessa asks as they stock the shelves.

"Yep. Well... No. There is no way in hell I could put up with that shit every day. I'm moving out."

Tessa stops to look at the back of the girl stocking the shelves opposite.

"You're moving out?" Ashley turns to nod before refocusing her attention on the shelf. "Where?"

Ashley stops, finally turning to look at her as she replies.

"See, that's where I was hoping you could help me..." She lets the implication linger as Tessa continues to stare at her.

"Whoa!" The realisation hits her. "Sorry, Ash. You know I would love to have you bunk with us, but with Rafael's cousins moving in, it's a pretty tight squeeze. Like, we actually have to book the bathroom out in the morning, and that latina bitch takes forever. God, I swear she does it on purpose!"

Ashley chuckles as Tessa goes on about her annoying housemates. She's loved Tessa since they started working together at Wal Mart two years ago. They were in the same group interview and instantly hit it off. The pair of them went out on the tear together, and both proved to be excellent wing women, until Tessa met Rafael, the buff Latin-American who didn't have a clue what the difference was between fluoride mouthwash and anti-plaque mouthwash. After helping him out by explaining each of them, and of course, in true Tessa style, telling him that his smile is 'perfect just as it is' he asked her out, and they've been with each other ever since.

He's actually a pretty nice guy as far as Ashley's concerned, and Tessa moved in with him a few months back, but two weeks ago, his cousins, Sofia and Gabriel decided that they'd like to live in the city like Rafael. Of course, he couldn't say no when his 'little' cousins showed up at the door, and so Tessa's been wound up like a spring since then. They said they'd move out when they earn enough money, but when one works at a car wash, and the other, a laundrette, there's only so much cash available... Not that the cash is great at Wal Mart, but it gets the girls by. Besides, when you choose not to go into further education after high school, there are only so many employers who will take you. And after what happened at her previous place of employment, Ashley figured that beggars can't be choosers.

"Having a nice chat, are we?" Greg, the superviser cuts in. "Get back to work." Both girls roll their eyes as they go back to stocking the shelves. "Oh, and Davies... Once you've finished that batch, I need a clean up on aisle four. You can get the rest of your shelves done after."

A muffled growl slips through Ashley's lips as he leaves and the girls turn to face each other, both pulling faces.

"Be right back," Ashley states before grabbing a mop and bucket and making her way to aisle four, where a beautiful blue puddle is waiting for her.

Vomit. Great, she thinks. And there's the culprit right there. Her eyes land on a stout kid who's clearly had too much ice cream from the store around the block, as his mother gives her an apologetic look before shuffling away with her son.

Sighing, Ashley sets a 'wet floor' sign out before wringing out the mop. Just as she's about to lift the mop, she's knocked over by a strong force, her hands straight into the blue puddle of goodness. She scoffs, but seeing a grinning Ben looking down on her, her face softens.

"Miss me?" he asks.

Ben was another of Ashley's colleagues. The third musketeer, if you will. He'd been on holiday in France for the past two weeks and the place had been quite boring without his boisterous personality present.

"Of course I did, ass!"

She lifts up her right hand, covered in a sheet of blue and flicks it at him, though having seen it coming, Ben dodges. Greg however, walking right behind Ben as he comes to check on the clean up, is not quite as quick.

The foul liquid drips from his face as he addresses Ashley with a red face.

"Davies! Out back now!"

* * *

She's sitting drinking a vodka and coke when Glen walks into the bar.

She's only known Glen for about a month, after he and Aiden got friendly at a basketball game, but apart from Aiden, he's the one she knows she can rely on when she needs a good drink.

"So what happened?" She throws Glen a look before taking another sip of her drink. "Come on! I get a text saying meet me at the bar, and you're sitting here alone looking pissed? Something happened."

Ashley sighs before relenting.

"I got suspended." She fiddles with the beer mat in front of her.

"Shit. What for?"

"Throwing vomit at a superviser." Glen's eyes bug out.

"No way! Seriously?" He starts to laugh. "That's epic!"

Ashley scoffs.

"No it's not 'epic'. I've been suspended for two weeks, unpaid. Which means I won't be able to pay my rent, which I don't even want to have to pay, because I want to move out, but obviously, I can't now, because I'll have no money... and Tessa can't even take me because Rafaels's cousins are staying there, and there is no way I am staying at that apartment..."

Glen let's her ramble on for a moment, before interrupting.

"Wait, you want to move out? Why? I thought you loved living with Aiden." He orders a drink as the bartender comes over.

"Aiden, yeah. Lisa, not so much." Ashley pulls a face.

"Oh... So he asked her then..." Ashley turns to face Glen as he takes a large gulp of his beer.

"Wait... You knew?" she asks in disbelief.

"Uh... Well, when he found out the girls were getting kicked out over that rent issue, he said he was thinking about asking her... He didn't say he was definitely going to though."

Ashley just sighs as she takes another drink.

"Hey, my sister's actually looking for someone to share the rent with her. Little two bedroom apartment a couple of blocks from here. The rent's pretty cheap too. It's right above a Chinese restaurant. Probably why the rent's so low...Although it kind of smells like fried chicken. Just a bit though..."

Ashley's ears prick up at this.

"How soon is she looking?" she asks.

"Now? The girl she was living with moved over East for some big job offer two weeks ago, so she needs someone by Wednesday," he replies.

"Two weeks ago? And no one's filled the spot yet?" She asks. Surely if no one's taken it within two weeks, there's something wrong with the apartment.

"Nope. Honestly, I think the constant smell of fried chicken was too much for them. But you get used to it! They were only there for a thirty minute viewing... Trust me, one day in that place, and you won't even notice it!"

"Apart from that, it's all good though, right?" she asks

"Of course it is! Would I offer you if it wasn't?"

Ashley thinks for a second before replying.

"Okay. I'll take it."

"You will? Sweet! You want a viewing tomorrow?" he asks.

"Nah. I won't need one. I trust your judgement. Besides, now that I'm suspended, I do not want to be spending two whole weeks in that apartment with Lisa. Ten minutes is more than enough."

Glen chuckles at this.

"Ha! Well, here..." He writes his sister's number down on the beer mat Ashley was fiddling with earlier. "I'll call her later to give her the good news."

* * *

When Ashley gets home, Lisa's there, but no Aiden.

"I thought you were moving out," the blonde quips.

"I thought you were leaving. Guess dreams really don't come true after all," Ashley replies.

"I live here now, remember?" the blonde snaps.

"How could I forget?" Ashley drawls as she disappears into her bedroom.

After getting washed and changed, she throws herself onto the bed before checking her phone. One message from Tessa. Figures. She's been so pissed off, she'd forgotten to let her friend know what had happened.

**Where did you go today? You say you'll be right back and then do a disappearing act! I asked Ben what happened, but he was laughing so much, I couldn't make him out. Xx**

**Got suspended. Xx**

**No! What did you do, you bad girl? Xx**

**Threw some vomit at Greg... Accidentally, might I add. Xx**

**Shit! That's hilarious! Did you hit him? Xx**

**Of course! Right in the face! He wasn't pleased... Xx**

**I can imagine. How long you suspended for? Xx**

**Two weeks. Xx**

**Sucks. Xx**

**Yep. Xx**

Another message beeps through, this time from Glen.

**Hey, dude! So I called my sister earlier and it's all good. You should call her to sort everything out.**

**Cool, thanks, bud!**

**Np ;)**

She sets her phone on the bedside table before turning out the light. It's late. The call can wait 'til the morning , she thinks.

* * *

When she wakes the next day, she's forgotten all about the previous day's escapades. It isn't until she's making her morning cup of coffee and Lisa pops up behind her that her memory becomes clear once more. Groaning, she pours her coffee and takes a seat at the breakfast bar.

Thankfully, Lisa hasn't said anything to her, except 'morning', to which Ashley simply muttered a 'mmmph', but as the pair sit, Ashley finds herself becoming more and more irritated by her presence. Maybe it's the way she sips her coffee noisily, or keeps humming that stupid song. Or maybe it's the way she's sat there painting her nails, various shades of nail varnish scattered all over the bar as if she owns the place.

Ashley takes this opportunity to send off a text to her future roomie as the blonde continue to hum out of tune.

**Hey, it's Glen's friend, Ashley here. Just checking that you're still okay for me to move in. I don't need a viewing or anything... it's kind of urgent.**

A few minutes later, her phone beeps.

**Hey! Yeah, it's fine! Glen said he'd already warned you about the slight smell, so I take it you're ok with that?**

She smiles as she reads the text.

**Haha yeah, it's all good. Smells don't really bother me. When you've lived with a guy for two years, you kind of get used to it...**

**Excellent! When do you want to move in?**

Chancing it, she replies straight away.

**Is today too soon?**

She watches as Lisa ponders over her thumbs, two different shades of pink as she decides which one to go for, when her phone goes off again.

**Today is perfect! Though can it wait 'til after 5? I have some stuff to do before then and I want to tidy the place up a bit.**

**Sure. I'll call round at 6?**

**Perfect! I'll see you then!**

Heading straight for her room, Ashley gets changed and packs up all the necessities she needs. She can call round for the rest another time, she thinks. Leaving the bag on her bed, she sets off for the day, in search of something to do until six o'clock. Maybe she'll pay Nikki a visit, she thinks.

* * *

After spending the day with Nikki, completely innocently, helping her find an outfit for her brother's upcoming birthday, Ashley decides to pick up a few essentials at Wal Mart.

Just as she grabs a jar of coffee, an irritating voice grasps her attention.

"Davies, what are you doing here?" Greg asks as he stares her down

"Uh... I'm buying coffee?" Really, she thinks, what does it look like?

"You're suspended," he states.

"Yeah, but –"

"You're not allowed on the premises," he iterates.

"Yeah, to _work_..."

"No. Period. Until the two weeks are up. Hand the coffee over," he urges.

"_What_? But I'm not _doing_ anything! I'm just buying coffee!" she whines.

"Not on our premises, you're not." She looks at Greg in disbelief as he seems unwavering in his stance.

Scoffing, she shoves the coffee at him and walks off.

"None of that attitude, or you'll be suspended for another week, Davies!" She rolls her eyes at this. If the store had an award for biggest asshole, Greg would definitely have it in the bag.

In a foul mood, Ashley returns to collect her bag before starting to make her way to her new apartment, noting that it's already ten to six. This girl better have decent coffee, she thinks. If she doesn't, mornings aren't going to be pleasant...

* * *

She reaches the apartment at five past six, the smell of fried chicken instantly hitting her as she moves towards the door next to the Chinese restaurant. Pressing the button on the panel, she waits until a voice comes over the intercom.

"Hey! Ashley?"

"Yeah."

"I'll buzz you in. Come on up."

The door buzzes and the brunette makes her way up the stairs, the smell fading slightly, but still hanging thick in the air.

She knocks on the door which is opened immediately, before dragging her bag in and setting it down inside.

"Hey, I'm Spencer!" The other girl states, before Ashley has a chance to look at her.

"Hey, I'm –" The words catch in her throat as Ashley finally raises her head to meet the other girl's gaze. "No shit..."

The pair mirror each other as they both look like rabbits caught in headlights.

Blonde coffee bitch from the other day.

From one bitch to another, Ashley thinks... Well this is going to be fun...

**.**

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**A/N – Yep, so there you have it. I haven't written anything else for this as of yet. I kind of wanted to see what people thought about it before putting more work into it, but I think it's a pretty solid idea so far.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, everyone! I'm back again! And it was only for two weeks this time :P**

**Thank you so much for the follows and favourites. I really wasn't expecting that many for the first chapter !**

**And of course, thank you for the reviews, kyoshiob69, Jennabot, Annais81, melirufus, gina32, Dj, SoNFan, OnThePrecipice21, son-lyn, nude as the news, Cath, and of course, the mystery guest... Particularly melirufus and OnThePrecipice21. Your reviews made me laugh XD**

**And also, thank you to dumle2209 and MADDY22 for the mail. Thank you for your patience, and please don't be afraid to give me a virtual kick up the backside every once in a while ;)**

**To be honest, I'm not completely happy with this chapter, but I've been changing bits and pieces over the past couple of days, and I'm getting sick of looking at it, so here it goes...**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination and dignity. With alcohol however, that dignity goes swiftly out the window and my imagination seems to run wild.**

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

"Coffee girl?" They both exclaim at the same time.

_Great. Out of all the people Glen could befriend_, Spencer thinks.

"Wow. Well it's nice to know Glen's sister is just as charming as him..."

Once again, Ashley's sarcasm goes down like a lead balloon as the blonde remains unimpressed.

"_Excuse_ me?"

"Uh... It's called sarcasm? You don't share the same sense of humour anyway; that's for sure..."

The blonde scoffs at this.

"Great. A smartass. Well, you know where the door is; you can show yourself out." Spencer gestures to the door, but Ashley remains in the same position with no intention of moving.

The brunette moves over to the sofa, making herself comfortable before replying to the blonde.

"You need help paying the rent, and you need someone by Wednesday. Today is Sunday, which means you have three days... Well, two really, seeing as you'll need them actually _living_ here by then..."She puts her feet up on the coffee table and leans back, arms behind her head. "Ooh, what's that smell? It kind of puts me in the mood for Chinese..." She smirks as Spencer's jaw visibly clenches.

Spencer knows she'll never get anyone to move in by then; not with the smell. And the place is pretty small. Glen was really doing her a favour when he got the brunette to accept the offer... Or so she thought...

"Your room's over there." The blonde points to a door left of the living area.

"Noted." Ashley picks up her bag and makes her way to the room, waving sweetly before closing the door.

Alone, Spencer sighs and shakes her head as she takes a seat on the sofa. There's no way she could get anyone else in time for Wednesday, and she doesn't want to have to sponge off her mom and dad for _another_ month.

Since the little public library she had previously worked at was sold off last month, Spencer had been looking for a job. The only problem was, no one would employ her. Either she was too overqualified or didn't have enough experience.

Of course, this frustrates the young blonde to no end. As a recent graduate, with a degree in Literature, she longs for a career in journalism; even just a small weekly column; anything to get her onto the ladder.

Of course, she'd been looking for jobs in this sector. In fact, she checks online every day, but there's nothing. She'd even sent a professionally worded email with her CV attached to the head of one of the local papers asking them to keep her in mind if something were to come up. The reply had been very nice, although stated that at the minute, every post was covered, but if that changed, they would notify her with an offer of interview.

That was three weeks ago, and still, nothing.

She was sure her interview at the coffee shop would have gone well had it not been for Hurricane Ashley. Somehow, turning up for interview drenched in coffee didn't paint a very good picture of the blonde, and she didn't get the job.

Of course, the blonde can't help but still feel bitter about the incident. After all, if the brunette hadn't run into her like that, perhaps she'd have a job right now...

Just as Spencer starts to replay the incident in her head, Ashley resurfaces from her room.

"So... When do I get the tour?"

Spencer inwardly groans.

"You don't," she replies, making Ashley pull a face.

"What? Are you kidding me? What if I get lost?" The brunette smirks at her own wit.

"There are four rooms in the apartment, including this one. Apart from the bedrooms and bathroom, everything is open-plan, as you can see." Spencer gestures around the room. "You won't get lost."

"Wow. You should really consider a job in real estate. I feel like I know the architecture of this place inside out, all from that one statement." She waits for Spencer to take the bait.

"Fine," she sighs.

The blonde stands up from where she was sitting on the sofa, her arms spread.

"Living room."

She points to the area behind them.

"Kitchen."

"Ooh, a breakfast bar! Nice!" Ashley feigns excitement, as Spencer continues, disinterested.

"Your room. My room. Bathroom."

Ashley moves towards the blonde's room, which is right next door to hers.

"Umm... What are you doing?" Spencer asks

"Am I not allowed to see how the other half lives?"

"I am _not_ your other half," the blonde protests.

"Pfft, you got that right! God, could you imagine?"

When the blonde makes no attempt to stop Ashley, the brunette opens the door, taking a look, but not stepping inside the room.

"Wow. You have a lot of books..."

"I like to read."

"Yeah, I can see that..." Ashley moves back towards the sofa, taking a seat across from the blonde. "So what kind of books do you like then?" the girl asks, genuinely interested. If she's going to be living with this chick, she might as well make an effort to get to know her, she thinks.

"Uh... anything really..." Spencer is taken aback from Ashley's sudden change in demeanour. "Mostly romance I guess, but as long as it's well written, I'll read it."

Ashley nods.

"What about you?" Spencer asks the brunette. "You read?"

"Nah. I used to when I was younger, but I couldn't now. My attention span couldn't take it."

The blonde chuckles at this.

"Somehow I believe that." This earns a smile from the brunette.

"Yeah... So, have you eaten yet?" Ashley asks.

Spencer shakes her head.

"I meant to, but I wanted to tidy the place up, so..."

Ashley has to admit, the place is spotless, and something tells her that it's usually kept that way. No offense to the blonde, but she seems kind of prim and proper.

"Me neither... Chinese?"

* * *

A while later, the girls are finishing off their food while watching television. Things are very civil until Ashley asks the awkward question.

"So... How'd the interview go?"

Spencer stiffens.

"I didn't get it." She doesn't look at Ashley when she replies.

"What? Why?" the brunette asks.

Spencer turns to look at her then, the anger she felt on the day of the interview returning.

"Why do you think, _Ashley_?"

Ashley pulls a face at this.

"What, they didn't give you the job because you spilt coffee on your blouse?"

Suddenly all previous pleasantries are forgotten, as the girls begin snapping at each other once more.

"No, Ashley. They didn't give me the job because I wasn't _presentable_. Being covered in coffee apparently gives off the vibe that I'm incredibly I _didn't _spill coffee on my blouse. _You_ did."

Ashley sniggers at this, much to the blonde's disgust.

"Well, you _were_ kind of clumsy that day..."

"What? No, I wasn't! _You_ were the one who walked into _me_!"

Ashley smiles slightly, realising that the girl on the other end of the couch is very easily would up. _I could have some fun with this_, she muses. After all, her natural language is sarcasm, and she can keep this going all night.

"Well, if you would've been paying attention to your surroundings, you would've seen me coming. Then, you would've waited until I passed to get out of your seat. The whole incident could have been avoided. It's totally _your_ fault," she insists.

Spencer scoffs.

"You are unbelievable, you know that?"

"You'll get used to it." She finishes the statement with a wink.

"Whatever."

Spencer turns her attention back to the television as Ashley places her carton onto the coffee table in front of them.

A few minutes go by without the girls saying a word to one another, so in an attempt to break the ice, Ashley decides to crack a joke, taking inspiration from the food cartons on the table.

"Hey, what do you call a Chinese man with one leg?"

Spencer shrugs.

"Tai wan shu."

Nothing. Not even a smile. Spencer simply raises her eyebrows in question as Ashley attempts to break through her walls.

"What do you call a Chinese prostitute?"

Silence.

"Wan yung Ho."

There's a slight curl in Spencer's lip as she seemingly fights a smile.

"Ah, see! Funny, right?" Ashley grins.

"_No_. Those are really bad jokes," Spencer replies.

"Yeah, but they're so bad, that they're good!"

Spencer sighs.

"Whatever. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

With that, she throws away the remnants of her own dinner before making her way to the bathroom to get washed.

"Goodnight, Barbie!" Ashley calls out, hoping to get a reaction from Spencer as she hears her new nickname.

Sure enough, Spencer turns around to throw Ashley an unamused frown, leaving the brunette smirking.

_She's hard work_, Ashley muses, _but I bet I could get her to loosen up a bit..._

* * *

The following morning, ever the morning person, Spencer rises early, and goes about her morning routine, having a quick shower before heading out to get a paper from the vendor down the street.

"Good morning, Spencer!"

"Morning, Ralph," she replies cheerily. "Anything interesting today?"

"Meh...Not really..." He shrugs. "Oh, wait; some drunk guy got arrested for cycling down the highway naked last night. They only caught him because he fell off just before the turn off... Says it was a dare. He's got balls, I'll give him that."

Spencer chuckles to herself as she exchanges her change for a paper.

"Thanks, Ralph. See you tomorrow?"

"You know where to find me!" He winks.

* * *

Back at the apartment, Spencer makes herself comfortable at the breakfast bar with a cup of tea and some toast as she flicks through the paper, analysing how the journalists wrote certain articles and chuckling at particularly humorous pieces.

She's about halfway through the paper when Ashley appears, slightly bedraggled looking, dragging her feet as she shuffles towards the kitchen area.

"Morning," Spencer addresses her, but only gets a grunt in return.

Making a face, Spencer returns to her paper, perusing a particularly interesting article about the superfluous amount of sugar in drinks. She's only a quarter of the way through the commentary when she's distracted by the clattering of jars and containers as Ashley searches for something on the kitchen counter.

Sighing, she returns to the article, trying to ignore the banging of cupboard doors and mumbling of a grouchy brunette, but finds she can't concentrate, realising she's read the same sentence four times already.

She puts the paper down and regards the other girl rifling through the cupboards.

"What is _wrong_ with you?"

"Feeee," the brunette mumbles.

"What?" She pulls a face at this, because really, how is she supposed to make _that_ out?

"Coffee!"

"Oh. Don't have any. I don't drink it that often. Mostly just when I'm out..."

Ashley freezes on the spot. Astounded by what she just heard, she asks Spencer to repeat herself.

"What? No coffee?"

Spencer just shrugs.

"Sorry. I kind of have an aversion to it since I ended up wearing it. You could probably recall that incident actually... Besides, I'm more of a tea person." She regards the brunette for a second, taking in her dishevelled appearance as she stands in front of her in a vest and sweats. "...You look like a Neanderthal."

Ashley narrows her eyes at the blonde before returning to raid the cupboards once more, determined to find at least _something_ to keep her sustained.

As she goes back to reading her paper, Spencer decides to cut Ashley some slack. She really doesn't seem like a morning person after all, and Spencer were in her shoes, she'd be pretty pissed. Besides, aside from just snapping at the girl, she kind of feels sorry for her; she looks like she's just been dragged through a hedge backwards. She definitely looks like she could use the caffeine hit.

"There might be some coffee in the back of _that_ cupboard." She points to the one that Ashley hasn't yet ransacked. "My mom drinks it, so I keep it for when she's here... Which is rare, so... "

She lets the sentence linger, watching on as Ashley searches for the coffee like a junkie after their fix.

The brunette lets out a sigh of relief upon finding the treasure, a small smile on the Spencer's lips as she watches on.

"Better?" she asks when Ashley finally manages to make the hot beverage and take a large gulp.

"Much. Uh...Thanks..."

"You're welcome. So what are your plans today?"

"I'll probably go back to Aiden's. Pick up a few more of my things."

Spencer nods.

"What about you? Let me guess... More job interviews."

"No, actually. Not today. Though I do have somewhere to be, so I'll probably be out most of the day..."

"Hmm... Sounds interesting. Where are you going?"

"Nowhere _you'd_ find interesting."

Spencer continues to scan her paper as she answers.

"Ooh, now I'm intrigued."

"Good for you."

As Spencer continues to browse the page she's on, disinterested in the brunette's curiosity, Ashley realises she's not going to get anything out of her.

"Okay, whatever. Don't tell me then."

The blonde just goes back to her paper as Ashley relocates to the sofa. It's not that she doesn't want to tell her where she's going... It's just that she's known the girl less than twenty four hours, and isn't quite ready to share something so personal with her just yet. Besides, Ashley doesn't seem like a very empathetic type of person, so telling her something like that would probably end up with her making a snarky comment, and Spencer would _not_ take that well...

Suddenly, Ashley's phone buzzes. The brunette checks it before addressing Spencer once more.

"Uhhh... I probably won't be home 'til late tonight, so, you know... Don't wait up."

Spencer adjusts her glasses, placing the paper down on the bar before getting rid of her dishes.

"Uh-huh..." She acts unconcerned as she picks up her bag and heads for the door. "Well, I'm heading now. See you later."

"Bye, Barbie!"

Spencer sighs as she closes the door.

* * *

"So anyway... How's the new roommate?"

After a stressful afternoon at the hospital, Spencer managed to escape for an hour, using the opportunity to get a nice cold drink and take a walk through the park, where she bumped into her best friend, Jess. After twenty minutes of idle chat on the park bench, Spencer figured that it was only a matter of time before the petite girl enquired about the annoying brunette who now inhabits her apartment with her.

"Terrible."

"Really? That bad?" the petite raven-haired girl asks.

"Yup. She's one of the most irritating people I've ever met, and she hasn't even been there for twenty four hours yet... She takes _nothing_ seriously, has an answer to _everything_, and can't seem to hold a conversation without using a ridiculous amount of sarcasm. On top of that, she totally cost me a job the other day."

"She cost you a job?" Jess pulls a face.

"Yeah... Remember coffee girl? Well, that's her."

"No way!" Jess exclaims in shock. "She's your roommate? How did that happen? I would've thought you'd reject her at the viewing."

"There was no viewing. Turns out Glen knows her, and he thought he was doing me a favour when he hooked us up. It was all done through text, so I didn't actually get to meet her before she moved in."

"Shit..."

"Yeah..." The blonde sighs.

"Well, sucks to be you... Hey, you never know; give it a week or two and the two of you could be bffs!" She grins cheekily.

"Ugh, no! Trust me; that will never happen. With a bit of luck I'll find a decent job soon and be able to move into a better place... One that doesn't smell of fried chicken."

"Still smells, huh?"

Spencer nods as she finishes off her drink.

"Anyway, I better get back to the hospital... I told them I'd be back five minutes ago..."

"Sure. Hey, if you see Paula, tell her I said hi!"

Spencer smiles as she gets up from the bench.

"I will. Bye, Jess."

* * *

"Why, Glen? Just why?"

After a relaxing morning/early afternoon of lounging around the apartment getting used to her new surroundings, Ashley made her way to Aiden's, thankful that Lisa was at work, but wasn't expecting the brother of her roommate to be present too.

"I thought you'd get on! How was I supposed to know you dumped a coffee on her?"

"I didn't dump a coffee on her!" She replies, frustrated. "She walked into me and it spilt!"

"Yeah, all over her shirt," Aiden interrupted. "Tell me, was it see-through?"

"Dude!" Glen punches him in the arm. "That's my little sister!"

"Oww!"

"Ugh... I'm going to get some more of my stuff," Ashley states as she makes her way towards her old room.

"Hey!" Glen stops her before she reaches the door. "You coming out tonight? Drinks are half price at Al's." He looks hopeful.

"Nah... Nikki's got the night off, so we were going do something together."

"Heh, yeah, _do_ something..." Aiden chuckles.

"Or _someone_," Glen adds, nudging the dark haired boy.

"Oh ha ha. You guys are just jealous you haven't got a hot girl to call on when you need one," she states as she disappears behind the door.

"_I_ do!" Aiden insists.

"She's a witch. Doesn't count!" Ashley shouts from her old room.

* * *

A few hours later, a tired blonde returns to the apartment to find it devoid of Ashley, but definitely not devoid of Ashley's things.

There are a few bags cluttering the space outside the brunette's room, and a mountain of clothes strewn across one end of the sofa.

Shaking her head, Spencer makes her way towards the fridge, but stumbles, quickly catching herself before she hits the floor. Looking down, she spots a box lying in the middle of the floor, obviously belonging to the sarcastic brunette.

"Ashley..." she growls as she kicks the box out of the way.

_Typical_, she thinks. _She goes to pick up her things and then just leaves everything lying around._

Spencer doesn't bother lifting anything up, or clearing it away; after the day she's had, she just wants to come home to her apartment and relax.

She grabs a ready meal from the fridge and pops it into the microwave, starving after a long, gruelling day.

Determined to make the most of Ashley being out late, she draws herself a bath upon finishing her meal, before settling into the warmth of the tub with a book.

Ashley still isn't home by the time Spencer's out, so the blonde decides to head to bed.

Within twenty minutes of reading, she feels herself drifting off, succumbing to the weight of her eyelids, heavy with sleep. Almost immediately, she falls into a peaceful sleep.

Her slumber doesn't last long however, as almost two hours later, she's woken by a loud bang from the living room, followed by hushed voices.

"Shhhh!"

"Whoops..." There's a giggle.

Spencer panics slightly, not recognising the voice.

"I told you to watch out for the table!" _Okay, that voice is definitely Ashley's_, Spencer muses.

"I know, but I got distracted..." And that one is definitely_ female_...

There's some movement before Ashley moans.

"So... This tour's been great and all," the second voice purrs. "But what I really want to see is your bedroom..."

More movement is heard before the second girl lets out a high-pitched screech.

"Shhhh! You need to be quiet! My roommate, remember?"

"Oh yeah, the boring one. Right..."

Spencer pulls a face at this. _'Boring? She thinks I'm boring?_'

"I didn't say she was _boring_. She's just –"

"Ashley, she's boring. Just... Take me to your room and fuck me already." _Nice_, Spencer thinks to herself; _what a classy girl_.

There's more fumbling before Spencer hears Ashley's door close. She closes her eyes again, trying to get back over to sleep, but as she starts to doze off, is startled by the loud giggling from the next room.

Soon enough, the giggles are replaced by low moans and the occasional thump of the headboard against the wall.

Spencer growls as she covers her head with the pillow in an attempt to mute the sound, but it only muffles it slightly.

Despite the noise, she finds herself dozing off ten minutes later, but is startled once more, this time, not by loud moans, but by the screams of a girl clearly in ecstasy.

"Oh shit! Oh fuck! Yes, Ashley! Right there! Yes! Yes! Shit! I'm going to... Ohhhh! Oh fuck!"

Spencer covers her face with her hands and shakes her head as she tries to ignore the screeching banshee next door.

Within a few seconds, the sound dies down, the mystery girl obviously spent, and Spencer tries again, for the third time, to get some sleep. Once again though, her effort is in vain, as a few moments later, the moaning starts up again.

"Again? Already? I'm already spent..." _Yes, Ashley, listen to the girl_, Spencer thinks; _she's already spent, so you guys should just call it a night._

"I'm only getting started..."

"Fuck..." Spencer breathes into the darkness as she hears some incoherent mumbling from the Ashley.

"What? Wow, we haven't tried that in a while... Okay..."

There's some shuffling before Ashley's guest cries out in pleasure once more.

"Oh my God, I forgot how _good_ you were at this!"

Spencer grimaces at this. She's already established that Ashley must be good at what she's doing from the girl's screams; she really doesn't need it vocalised.

The moaning only intensifies as time goes on.

"Fuck... Grab hold of me there," Ashley instructs.

"Oh... Holy shit..."

"Oh my god! Please stop!" Spencer whispers aggressively into the dark room.

"That feels so good... Don't stop..."

"No, please _do_ stop," Spencer whispers to herself.

"Oh, I have no intention of stopping..."

_Great_, Spencer thinks. _It's going to be a long night..._

**.**

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**A/N – FYI, the situation Spencer is in at the end of this chapter actually did happen to me a few years ago... Except it was in a bunk bed, and I was in the bottom with my 'buddy' for the night... We weren't doing anything, but the two up above certainly had fun... Needless to say, we found the whole scenario hilarious, especially since they made the effort to check we were sleeping first by shining their phones in our faces. We weren't though; we're just excellent actors. I'm surprised they didn't hear our sniggering but then again, they were preoccupied... Can you say 'awkward'?**


End file.
